Balancing power with size, the Speedlite 430EX II from Canon offers a very useful guide number of 141' at ISO 100 and 105mm as well as complete compatibility with Canon's E-TTL / E-TTL II flash metering system. The flash head also offers an excellent zoom range of 24-105mm, which is expanded to 14mm with the use of the wide-angle diffusion panel. There is even the option to tilt the flash upwards 90° as well as rotate it right 90° or left 180° for bounce capabilities.

Wireless slave TTL functionality is possible with Canon's optical pulse transmission system. This is possible with one of 4 channels and 3 groups at up to 39.4'. This enables photographers to setup off-camera lighting without running cables. Other features include an AF assist beam, modeling flash, and high-speed, first and second curtain sync modes. It also recycles in 0.1-3.7 seconds and runs on 4 AA batteries. Additionally, it comes with a mini stand and a case.

When used as a wireless slave, the 430EX II supports stroboscopic flash from the master unit

Near silent recycling

LCD panel on rear for viewing and changing settings

Nine user-adjustable custom functions with 20 settings

Metal locking foot

Effective flash range of 2.3 to 79.7'

AF assist beam works with 1-9 AF points and has a range of up to 32.8'